You Are Golden
by Faeyy
Summary: Jemma hires dog sitter Skye to take care of her dog every time she leaves the country for work. Over the months they grow closer to each other, until one rather unfortunate event brings them together in a way neither of them had expected.
1. From the day you strolled in, my heart w

**Chapter 1  
**_From the day you strolled in, my heart was stolen_

Skye was rudely awoken from her peaceful slumber by her phone that kept buzzing under her pillow. Groaning, she sat up, squinting her eyes against the bright light in her bedroom. She let her hands wander around, trying to locate her phone. After a few seconds her fingers collided with the device and she pulled it into view.

_Unknown number_

she frowned, but pressed the answer button anyway.

"Hi." She said, trying to sound more awake than she actually was.

"Hello, am I speaking to Skye?" A woman with a British accent said.

It took Skye a second to form and answer, momentarily distracted by how sweet the voice on the other end of the line sounded.

"Uhm, yes, this is her." She finally managed to get out.

"Hello. My name is Jemma Simmons and I am calling you in regard of your advertisement in the newspaper." The woman, Jemma, said. "You are the right person I hope."

"My ad in the newspaper?" Skye puzzled. She was not awake enough to be having a phone conversation with a stranger right now.

"Yes, about the dog sitting job?"

Skye slammed her hand against her forehead, "Of course. I'm sorry. Yes, that's me."

"Good, I was already doubting I had phoned the right person." The other woman said. "Now that we have established that, I was wondering if you were still available."

"As a matter of fact I am. One of my regulars just cancelled. When do you need me?"

"I was thinking about a meeting first," The woman said, sounding serious, "too see if you are adequate."

"Sure," Skye replied, "when would you like to meet?"

The other woman was quiet for a moment, and Skye took this time to lean back against her pillows, twirling a strand of her hair around her fingers.

"Are you free tonight?" Jemma asked, breaking the silence.

"Let me check, give me a second." Skye covered the microphone on her phone with her thumb and waited fifteen seconds before coming back, hoping it would give Jemma Simmons the idea that she was checking her agenda.

"I have nothing planned for tonight, so I would be able to meet you then." She said, inspecting her nails.

"Perfect!" The woman on the other end said excitedly.

She gave Skye her address and phone number, so Skye could call her if they had to postpone their meeting for any reason. After that, they said their goodbyes and hung up.

Letting her phone drop back into the sheets of her bed, Skye stretched her arms above her head and let out a yawn. Looking at the clock she noticed it was around ten in the morning, way to early to get up and do something productive. But she knew she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep now, so she opted to get up anyway.

Her usual days consisted of sleeping in, having a late breakfast alone in her apartment and going to work at one in the afternoon. Since she was now up way before her normal schedule, it meant she had a lot of time to kill before it was time to leave for the pet shop.

She could go for a run, but then again, she didn't really feel like doing anything active today. Instead she opted for taking a long, hot shower and maybe reading a few chapters in the book she was currently reading.

She loved the late starts at her job, but today it meant that time was passing excruciatingly slow. After her shower only 45 minutes had passed, and she still had two more hours. The pet shop she worked in was just down the street from her apartment, and walking there only took five minutes.

She made some toast and coffee for herself while she thought about the odd phone call this morning. When she had placed that ad a few weeks ago, she hadn't expected anyone to contact her about it. She needed the extra money to keep paying for her expenses, and her job at the pet store didn't pay enough. And besides, she loved dogs.

When one of her regulars dog's died, she had one slot open that she desperately wanted to be filled. She wasn't sure what this woman wanted from her, but she hoped she would get the job.

She took a sip from her coffee and scrolled through her emails. Apart from some newsletters, her inbox was empty. She sighed and put her phone down.

Looking outside, the sun was shining and the weather report had predicted a nice warm day. Maybe going for a run wasn't such a bad idea after all. She sent out a text to her friend and got a reply quickly. Turns out Trip already had plans for this morning.

_Running alone it seems, _Skye thought to herself. _I really have to find more friends. _She chuckled.

Putting her breakfast dishes in the sink, she got ready for her run.

* * *

Later that day she was standing behind the counter in Coulson's Pets World. There was no one in the store right now, save for herself. So far she had only seen three customers, and only one of them had bought anything. It looked like it was going to be a calm day at work. This meant she had more time to cuddle with the bunnies the shop sold.

Ever since Skye had started working here, she had had a soft spot for the long eared animals in the glass cages. She didn't know what it was, she just loved to run her fingers through their soft fur and stroke their ears. One bunny in particular had hopped its way into her heart.

The brown animal had been at the store for two months before Skye came here, and was already too old to be sold to a customer. So Skye had bought it with her first pay check. Since her apartment was too small to give him enough room to run around in, she had kept it here. She had named him Hunter Snuggles, and many had laughed at that.

The owner, a middle aged man named Phill Coulson had given her permission to use one of the cages. He never said it out loud, but he loved to hold Hunter and play with him, so Skye knew it was okay to hold him here.

At night she sometimes missed him. Missing being able to hold his soft body in her arms and kiss him between his ears. (He loved that) But she knew that he was much better off here, where he was being looked after by the other employees. Both Bobbi and Trip loved her little buddy, and he got more attention and cuddles here than he would ever get at home.

She was shaken out of her thoughts by someone clearing their throat loudly in front of her. The woman was holding a few cans of cat food in her hands, and was obviously standing there to pay for them. Skye mumbled an excuse and got to work.

When the woman left the store two minutes later, Skye was alone yet again. She walked over to the glass cages that held the other animals that were for sale and stopped in front of Hunter's little home. The other hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits followed her movements with curious eyes.

"Hey Hunter," She softly said, petting him on his head, "are you ready for some play time?"

As if he understood her, his ears perked up and he looked right at her. "I'll take that as a yes." She laughed.

She picked him up, careful to support his body in the right way and lifted him out of his cage. She placed him on her left arm and scratched between his ears. He relaxed and practically melted in her arms. After petting him for a few minutes and whispering soft words to him, she placed him on the ground.

She trusted him not to bite into anything that was on the floor, and she had learned him not to come too close to the door. She couldn't risk someone not looking where they were walking and stepping on him or kicking him or something equally as bad.

He contently hopped away from her feet, sniffing the ground with a happy glimmer in his eyes. She looked down at him, a soft smile on her face.

She turned back to the other small animals. She always made sure every single one of them got some cuddles every day she was here. They spent all day long in those transparent boxes, and she couldn't imagine how boring that would be. So she tried to give them as much 'play time' as she could.

First, she picked up one of the younger hamsters. He was a bit sleepy, but quickly came to his senses and started walking around over her arms. In the back of the store she knew were some of those plastic hamster balls. Some people thought it was animal cruelty to put the little animals in them, but Skye knew that most of them _loved_ to run around freely. Or well, as freely as was possible.

After she put the first hamster in one and placed it on the ground, she did the same for four other hamsters. Mostly the younger ones because they had a lot of balled up energy. When all of them were running around, she made sure to place the 'Be careful when you enter' sign on the door, not wanting to think about what could happen if she forgot that.

She went back to her chair in the corner. From there she had a view of the whole store so she could keep an eye on Hunter, and the other animals just in case. She took one of the guinea pigs out of its cage and put it on her lap. She spend a good ten minutes playing with it and petting it until it fell asleep. She repeated that action with all the others.

After about half an hour, she let the hamsters out of their balls and back into their beds, all falling asleep instantly, tired from their daily activity. She got back to her chair and dug her phone out of her pocket. She checked her messages and scrolled mindlessly through her social media feeds.

It was almost closing time, and through experience she knew that the chance of another customer at this hour was very small. So to say she was surprised when the door opened was an understatement. She looked up from her phone screen and relaxed when she saw it was her boss. Mr. Coulson strode in, a smile on his face and his sunglasses still hiding his eyes from view. No matter what weather, he always wore his sunglasses everywhere. When Skye asked about them, he waved her off. She suspected it had something to do with him wanting to look cool or something.

"Hey MC!" She greeted him with a grin. "Deciding too join you subordinate today." She asked with a wink.

"Always," He replied with the same grin on his face. "I need to check in on you regularly to make sure you behave."

"Ah, so that's the real reason. I knew it wasn't my extraordinary sense of humour."

Coulson laughed, finally taking of his sunglasses. "I have to be honest, that is a part of the reason why I come down here to often."

"Part of?" Skye challenged him.

"I came here to see my man, why else?"

As on queue, Hunter came hopping around the corner of the cash register.

"There he is!" Coulson said, "Always eager to see me."

Skye laughed out loud, and Coulson feigned hurt.

"He has you wrapped around his little paw, admit it." Skye smiled.

"I never denied that." Both smiled at each other and sank into a comfortable silence.

Coulson was like a dad to her, and seeing him cuddling with Hunter almost felt like he was admiring his very own grand child. Everyone who worked in this store had become her family over the years, and she had learned a long time ago that family didn't mean bound by blood.

She was blessed to have all these amazing people in her life, and she knew that.

* * *

Sky was standing in front of the black door, number 339 in golden letters telling her this was really the right address. Even though she had done this quite a couple of times before, she still got a bit nervous right before going in. She didn't know this woman, and for all she knew she was some kind of creep.

Even though Skye didn't believe anyone with such a cute British accent could even come close to being creepy, she was still careful. Gathering some much needed courage, she knocked on the door with rapid beats.

Inside, she could hear a dog bark and its paws making ticking sounds on the floor. At least the woman hadn't lied about owning a dog, that was a good sign. It didn't take the woman long to reach the front door, and Skye heard a key turn in the lock. She mustered a smile on her face.

The door opened and revealed a young woman, about Skye's age with light brown hair reaching her shoulders. Both were about the same size, but unlike Skye's, the woman's skin was pale and her eyes were a lighter shade of brown. But the thing that caught Skye's attention the most was the way the woman was smiling at her.

Jemma's whole face looked happy when she smiled, her eyes lit up and her cheeks got a rosy red colour. Even though Skye had just laid eyes on the woman for the first time, she already knew that her smile was probably one of her best features.

"Hello, you must be Skye." Jemma's voice brought her back to the present.

"Yes, that's me." She extended her hand for the other woman to grab, "Nice to meet you." She added with a smile.

Jemma shook her hand and then invited her in. "I put Peggy in the next room for the time being." She explained. "She can get a little shy with strangers."

"That's understandable." Skye said as she looked around. "But I am a very likeable person." she joked.

Jemma laughed but didn't respond. While the other woman was quiet, Skye took the opportunity to take in the room around her.

The walls were painted a dark blue/grey with dark wood on the floor. The furniture looked like it was all hand picked from a high class living magazine. The whole room gave off a rich, yet homey feel.

"So uh.. would you like to meet Peggy?" Jemma broke the silence.

"Sure." Skye smiled.

Jemma moved to open one of the doors that apparently led to the kitchen, and immediately an adorable fully grown Beagle came barging in. The dog looked up at her with caution in her eyes, carefully moving towards her.

"Hey Peggy." Skye said, lowering her hand so she could sniff.

Soon enough, she felt a wet nose pressed against her hand, and within minutes after that, Peggy allowed her to pet her on her head.

"I think she likes you." Jemma said.

"Good, because I like her too." Skye said, mostly towards Peggy.

She got upright again when Jemma asked her if she would like something to drink. "I've made some tea already, but if you rather want coffee I can make you some."

"No, tea is fine." Skye said.

She moved over to the big grey couch and sat down, letting her hands wander over the soft fabric. She felt Peggy press her head against her knee and she smiled. She let her hands run over the dog's back and scratched her behind her ears. Peggy let out a content sigh and dropped down at Skye's feet.

Skye continued to pet her until Jemma came back to the living room, carrying two cups filled with steaming tea.

"I wasn't sure what you wanted in your tea, so if you want anything, just let me know. "

"I always drink my tea without anything in it." Skye commented.

"Then I'm sure you will like this tea." Jemma said with a smile.

Skye took the mug in her hands and sat back against the couch.

"So," Jemma began, "I take it this isn't your first time you took care of a dog?"

"Nope, have been doing it for the last two years actually."

"Okay good." Jemma took a moment before speaking again, "It's comforting to know that Peggy will be looked after by someone with experience."

Skye agreed with her. "So, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself and your situation and why and when you need me to look after Peggy?" She asked.

"Of course. I work for a science lab here in the States, but my job requires me to travel to England one week every month for meetings and other necessaries. It is in those weeks that I would like to hire you for looking after Peggy."

"Okay, sound reasonable." Skye said. "Would you prefer me to only take her for walks and come in at night to feed her, or go for the whole package?"

Jemma looked puzzled. "The whole package?" She asked.

"Yeah, some dogs get lonely when their owners leave, so they ask me to practically move in for the time that they are away so that their dog doesn't feel too abandoned."

"I understand. I think that is indeed what Peggy needs when I leave." Jemma takes a sip of her tea. "I used to take her with me on the plane, but she really hates flying and I don't want to do that to her any more than absolutely necessary."

"Okay, that's settled then." Skye smiled. "I'm sure me and Peggy will manage." She gives the dog a scratch behind her ears. "When would you like me to start?"

"The next time I have to go to the UK is next week. Is that too early for you?"

"No, that perfect." Skye replied.

"Great," Jemma looks relieved. "I am happy about this arrangement." She added with a smile.

"So am I." Skye said, "I think this is going to be one of my better jobs."

Jemma laughed, "I sure hope so."

_I wouldn't doubt it, _Skye thought to herself. She was positive this was her best job so far, and after meeting Jemma and Peggy, she was even more convinced than this morning. She was going to love this job.

* * *

**A/N:** All the titles are from the song _Golden_ by Lady Antebellum.

I hope you have just as much fun reading this as I had with writing it.


	2. And even when you're miles away

**Chapter 2  
**_And even when you're miles away_

_**From:**__ Jemma Simmons (j.__m.__simmons )_

_**To:**__ Skye (skye0__84__) _

_**Sent:** Sunday April 12, 2015 10:07:49 PM_

_**Subject:** Important information_

_**Attachments:** , Phone _

_Hello Skye,_

_I hope you are having a good day so far. I just wanted to email you some information about Peggy and our daily routines that will be helpful for when you take care of her. _

_Some basic rules:_

_Peggy is allowed everywhere in the house, except for the kitchen when I am cooking. _

_At mornings and nights she gets her normal dry dog food. (Which can be found in the closet next to the kitchen with the smiley face sticker on the door.) I sometimes give her a few treats throughout the day. Those too are in that closet._

_She likes to take long walks in the morning. I usually take her out for about an hour. Around 12 we like to take a quick walk, after which she likes to take a nap, and at nights she is happy with a 30 minute outing. _

_She loves to play, which allows her to get rid of her energy. Good things to do with her are going for a run or playing in the park with the other dogs. I usually do this in the morning._

_I attached a map of my neighbourhood and I highlighted our normal route so you can see how we usually walk. Peggy likes her routines, so it is best to walk that route every day to make sure she is as comfortable as possible. _

_Also you will find a list of phone numbers attached. In case of an emergency you can reach me on my personal and work phone. The number of Peggy's vet is also on that list, plus my friends phone number as a last resort if you can't reach any of the other numbers mentioned above. _

_At last, I will leave money on the kitchen counter for groceries, both for you and Peggy. Feel free to order pizza or Chinese with that money. _

_Some last things you should know about Peggy:_

_She likes to sleep in bed with me, so she will try to climb into bed with you at night. If you prefer she sleeps somewhere else, close the bedroom door before you start getting ready for bed. _

_She likes to chew on your shoes, so make sure you store them high enough so she won't be able to reach them. _

_She also tries to eat everything that she finds within reach, so be careful with what you keep laying around. _

_I hope I have given you enough information, if you still have any question or remarks, you can always sent me an email or give me a call. Peggy is looking forwards to your visit, I hope you are too._

_Greetings,_

_Jemma Simmons _

Jemma gave the email a final once over before pressing the sent button. With a soft whoosh sound, the email disappeared from her screen. She closed her laptop and put it in her bag. She looked around her, her suitcase and handbag already fully packed and ready to go.

She was always early, being late made her feel antsy.

"Peggy?" she called out for her dog. Peggy lifted her head from her pillow where she had been sleeping the past hour and slowly got up. Jemma crouched down and welcomed the dog in her arms.

Peggy wagged her tail and made an attempt to lick her face. Jemma giggled and gave her a tight squeeze. She never liked to leave home, Peggy in particular. Going back to the country she grew up in always felt kind of sentimental to her, but it had been quite a few years since she had called England _home. _

She buried her nose in Peggy's fur, inhaling her scent. "I'm going to miss you." She whispered, "But I know you are going to be save here. Skye seems like a trustworthy person."

Jemma never had any trouble with estimating if a person had good intentions or not. When she had met Skye a few days before, nothing about the other woman had made any alarm bells ring. Of course Jemma couldn't be completely sure, but after some excessive research on the woman, she was convinced both her house and her dog would be save in her care.

She let out a sigh and stood up, letting go of Peggy. The dog let out a soft whine, clearly enjoying the cuddles and extra attention. Jemma looked at the watch on her wrist, it was time for her to go. She gave Peggy one final pad on her head and turned around to gather her bags.

"Peggy," She spoke, getting the dog's attention, "Go to your bed."

Peggy obeyed and laid back down on her green pillow, head placed between her two paws. She looked up at Jemma with her big brown eyes.

"Mummy's has to go now," She said, "I will be back before you know it." She smiled, more for herself than for Peggy.

She took her bags with her and left the living room. She opened her front door and was welcomed with cold air and raindrops being splattered in her face. Closing the door behind her, she braced herself for the cold weather.

_Great start of the day,_ she thought, grimacing.

* * *

It was around 10 o'clock in the morning when Skye's phone buzzed with an incoming email. Seeing it was from Jemma, she quickly opened it. Her eyes scanned through the text and she snickered.

The night before, Jemma had called her to give her the details of her flight so that Skye knew when she was expected to turn up at the apartment. Since Jemma would be gone by 11, Skye would pick up Peggy for her walk before bringing her stuff over.

She had no idea what she could expect when she got there, but she hoped she didn't have to sleep on the couch. But Jemma didn't look like the person who would let her sleep on anything less than a bed, and that thought made her feel a little better.

She got dressed into her usual attire, skinny jeans and t-shirt. Brushing her hair she gave herself a final once over in the bathroom mirror. The absence of make-up made her look a little tired, but she had taken the day off from work to get settled in in Jemma's apartment so she would hopefully only have to face Peggy today. And its not like she would care if Skye looked extra pretty or not.

She stuffed some breakfast in her mouth on her way outside and drove to the other side of town. By the time she got there it was already eleven-thirty, so her hopes of catching Jemma before the woman would leave for her flight were gone.

Climbing the stairs, she reached door 339. Jemma had provided her with a key when they first met, so Skye dug it up from her pocket. She opened the door with ease and she let herself in.

"Peggy?" She called out when she didn't hear any noise from the house.

She opened the door to the living room and was greeted with Peggy's paws against her thighs. The dog was wagging her tail excitedly and letting out the occasional bark.

"Hey sweetie." Skye said while scratching her behind her ears. "You ready for your walk?"

By the mention of the word _walk,_ Peggy let out a louder bark, signalling she was definitely ready.

"Okay then," Skye smiled, "Give me a second to find your leash and then we can go."

Skye looked around the room, searching for anything that looked like a leash. Peggy walked over to another door in the room, one that Skye hadn't opened yet. She sat down and looked expectingly up at Skye. She got the hint. Opening the door, she found a small cupboard, containing a leash and other, mostly cleaning, supplies. She got what she needed and walked back to the front door, Peggy following her.

"Sit." She ordered Peggy.

The Beagle obeyed and sat down patiently. Skye bowed down and clicked the leash onto Peggy's collar. The dog immediately stood back up and started wagging her tail again.

Skye laughed and opened the front door, making sure to lock it behind her. Peggy was a little impatient and she began pulling Skye with her. Skye put her free hand in her jacket pocked and pulled a folded piece of paper out. At home, she had printed out the maps Jemma send her.

Unfolding it, she quickly located the starting point. It wasn't a long walk, just a few blocks before turning around and walking the same way back to the apartment. Peggy was trotting away in front of her, tail wagging the entire time. She did her business somewhere in a small patch of grass, and Skye made some approving noises.

The rest of the way was uneventful, they passed a few other dogs and people, and Skye made some polite small talk with their owners while Peggy sniffed the other dogs butts. After about thirty minutes, they returned home.

Once inside, Skye unclipped the leash and let Peggy walk freely. She walked over to her pillow in the corner and let herself fall down with a soft thud.

"I will be back later, okay?" Skye said.

Peggy didn't look at her or even gave any sign of hearing her. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was slow and steady. Skye remembered Jemma's email, and the thing about Peggy liking to take a nap after her walk. She hoped Peggy would sleep for at least an hour, so that she had enough time to go back home and get some stuff from her own apartment.

She looked around the room and hung the leach over the backrest of the couch. She would put that back later. She walked out of the front door and back to her car. On the drive back home she sung along to her favourite songs loudly, it was something she could only do in the car. Her own apartment had thin walls, and after various complaints from her neighbours, she decided to stop singing in the shower.

Arriving home, she got started on packing her bag. She only got things that were absolutely necessary. Her laptop, chargers, some clean clothes and toiletries. She didn't have to worry about food, Jemma had taken care of all of that.

On her way back to Peggy, she drove past the pet store. She wanted to buy some treats for Peggy, the ones she knew dogs generally loved. She said hi to Bobbi and walked out five minutes later, holding a bag filled with the brown treats.

When she found herself once again in front of door 339, she could now hear Peggy walk around when she turned the key in the lock. She was greeted with a happy dog that threw herself in Skye's arms the moment she stepped over the threshold.

"Hey buddy." She greeted her.

She now took some time to walk around the house, Peggy following her around the whole time. She first found the bathroom and gaped with open mouth at the spacious bathtub she found there. She was already looking forwards to spending an hour or more in that tub. Next up was the bedroom, which was just as nicely furnished as the living room.

A big king sized bed in the middle, grey floral sheets covering the duvet and at least a dozen pillows at the headboard. Skye took a short run up to the bed and dove onto it, arms spread wide. She immediately melted into the soft sheets and incredibly bouncy mattress. She was going to love this bed, she was sure. She laughed when Peggy jumped onto the bed next to her. Skye petted her belly and relaxed against the pillows.

It smelled clean, with just a whiff of what she suspected was Jemma. She felt a bit like a pervert when she inhaled deeply, but there was no one to scold her for it, so she did it anyway.

Her last stop was the kitchen, and to say she was impressed was an understatement. The dark marble counter tops were so clean she could probably eat directly from them. There was a very luxurious coffee machine in the corner, and the stove was so clean she could use it as a mirror. She let her hands wander over the cold stone and opened some random doors to locate the plates and other useful things.

After she inspected the whole house, she went back to the living room and sat down on the couch. Peggy jumped on her lap and laid down instantly. Skye looked around in search of the TV remote. Finding it on the small table on the right of the couch, she pressed the on button.

The big flatscreen on the wall opposite of her lit up on some random news channel. She flipped through the other channels, eventually settling on a documentary about tigers that looked interesting enough to watch.

When the program ended, she switched flipped aimlessly through some more channels, absentmindedly stroking Peggy's back. She found nothing that she liked, and after a few minutes of watching some weird cartoon, she turned the TV off. The silence that followed made her feel a bit uneasy.

At her own home, due to the thin walls, there was always some noise. It was never silent. But here, at Jemma's big, most likely expensive apartment, there was nothing to hear besides her own breathing. It didn't take long before Skye was bored out of her mind. She ushered Peggy off her lap and went to her bag to retrieve her laptop.

When she opened her email, she found a short email from Jemma informing her she had landed safely and could only be reached on her phone for the rest of the day, in case something happened.

Besides that, she had no new emails, and even her social media sites were a bit dull today. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. It was not yet time for dinner, but she had no idea how to fill the hours. Suddenly she remembered the bathtub and she decided she could take a long bath.

Not really sure if Peggy was okay with her closing the bathroom door, she left it slightly open. While the bath was filling up with steaming hot water, she looked around for some soap. She found Jemma's extensive collection of bath oils and unscrewed the cap of the first one. Lavender, perfect.

She let a few drops fall in the water and then walked over to the kitchen and made some tea for herself. While she waited for the water to boil, she started undressing. She bound her hair up in a bun on top of her head and when she was done, she saw that the water was already done.

Taking a mug of hot tea with her, she let herself sink down into the warm water of the bathtub. The lavender filled her senses and she leaned back, already feeling herself relax. It wasn't long before she heard Peggy enter and curling up on the floor.

Skye closed her eyes and let her thoughts take her away. She was not going to move for the next hour. Or longer.

* * *

The rest of the week was mostly the same as the first day, minus the time spent in the bathtub. Skye had to get up early in the morning, which she didn't like at all at first, but after seeing how happy Peggy was when they left for their morning walk, it made it a little better.

Peggy slept in the bed with her, most of the time curled around her, keeping her nice and warm. It was quite nice to not be alone in bed for a change. Still, waking up with a dog breathing in your face was a downside.

It turned out that Peggy was very nice company, and Skye felt a lot less alone in this big house than she normally would have if she had been on her own.

She spoke to Jemma on the phone a few times, mostly when the other woman called to check in on them. It was a nice gesture, and Peggy seemed to like to hear her mommy's voice over the phone.

Skye still went to work everyday, because she was only gone for five hours a day and Peggy didn't seem to mind as long as she was on time for her walk and feeding time.

Even though it wasn't very clear, Skye could see Peggy missed Jemma. She tried to cuddle her even more than she normally would, hoping it would make her feel better. She also rewarded her with the treats she bought quite often. She knew she couldn't replace Jemma, but at least she was trying.

Days passed, and before she knew it, it was Friday. The day Jemma would come home. Skye had to admit, she was kind of excited about that. After the phone calls they had had, she wanted to see her again. But she knew she wouldn't be home by the time the woman came home.

The day before, Jemma had emailed her flight details again, and she would be home around three in the afternoon. She would be at work by then.

Just as the other days, Skye got up early to walk Peggy. She hung around the house for a few hours, making sure she took all her stuff with her and cleaning so Jemma would find her house the same way she left it a week before. Around noon, she left and decided to just drive to work without going home first.

After saying goodbye to Peggy, she left the bag of treats on the table. There were still a few in it, and Jemma would have more use of them than she would. She felt a bit weird to leave Peggy behind. After taking care of her for a week, she had grown quite fond of her. But she knew it was part of the job, getting attached would only result in unnecessary sadness.

It wasn't until later that day, when she got a text from Jemma, that she realized just how much she had gotten attached to Peggy.

_Hello Skye. I though I'd let you know that I just arrived home. Thank you for taking such good care of Peggy. She seems a lot happier than usual after I leave for such a long time. I even think she misses you. ;) _

_Yeah, I miss her too. _Skye thought to herself. But she didn't reply to the text message. Instead, she focused on helping a new customer. Moping around could be done later.

* * *

**A/N:** All the titles are from the song _Golden_ by Lady Antebellum.

I hope you have just as much fun reading this as I had with writing it.


	3. While the rain is falling

**Chapter 3  
**_While the rain is falling_

Skye soon realized that it was hard to return to her normal routine. She woke up every morning at eight, and it always took her a few seconds to realize that she didn't have to walk Peggy anymore. She would lay back down, but never manage to fall asleep again.

Because she woke up so early these days, it gave her a lot more free time. Apart from some other dog sitting jobs, which were all for only a few hours at a time, she had not much to do. She had asked Coulson if she could work more hours a day, and thankfully he had said yes to that. She now started two hours earlier.

She never thought that taking care of someone's dog for a week could change her life so much. She had never spent so much time with one dog, so she was also fully unprepared for the consequences. To fill the emptiness Peggy had left, she spent more time than ever with Hunter, holding him until he started to squirm out of her hold.

Jemma hadn't contacted her again after the last text message, and Skye almost called her one day, but decided that would be a bit weird. She and Jemma had nothing in common, and to just call her up out of the blue would be wrong. Besides, she didn't even know what to say to her.

"Good morning." She said to May while opening the door.

"Morning, Skye." May said smiling lightly. "You're early today." She said glancing at the clock on the wall.

"Yeah, couldn't sleep." Skye told her. "I brought coffee." She held up the two cups.

"You're a star."

"I know I am." Skye replied smirking. She handed one of the cups to May and placed hers on the counter. May thanked her and Skye turned to where she knew Hunter would be.

"He's still asleep." May said as if she could read Skye's mind.

"Oh." Sky tried to sound unaffected, but deep down she was a bit disappointed.

"We got some new guinea pigs this morning." May tried to cheer her up a bit.

It worked, Skye couldn't help but smile. "Where are they?"

The dark haired woman pointed towards the back of the store and Skye almost ran to the storage there. She always got excited when the new animals arrived. It was like getting a new toy she could play with for the first time. She soon located the box where the guinea pigs were in, and she carefully lifted the lid.

Her eyes landed on four brown, and two black ones, still young. They were all huddled together in a corner, either for warmth or because they were scared, she didn't know.

She let her hand down inside the box, and one of the brown ones tentatively stepped forwards and sniffed her hand. For a second it looked like everything was going okay, until suddenly he opened his tiny mouth and bit down hard on her thumb.

Skye yelped and quickly pulled her arm back up. "Ouch." She hissed.

"You okay back there?" Came May's voice.

"One of them bit me." Skye replied, holding her hand up so she could see her finger.

It was bleeding profusely, and hurt like hell. "I'll be right back."

She went over to the small kitchen and carefully washed her hand under cold water. It stung, but at least now she could get a good look at the bite marks that were now visible in her thumb. They were fairly deep, and already new blood started to well up.

She walked back to the counter, where Bobbi already had the first aid kit out.

"Let me see the damage." May said, and Skye could swear she saw some compassion in her eyes.

She held her thumb up and pouted, "It hurts."

Without speaking, May got a band-aid and put it on Skye's finger, careful not to hurt her.

"There. Next time you should be more careful."

"Thanks." Skye mumbled.

It still hurt, but for some reason it felt a little better than before she had it taken care of. Maybe it was May's almost motherly tone and softness of her movements when she had held Skye's hand.

Just like Coulson, May felt like family to her. Even though the woman looked barely older than her, Skye had always felt more of a maternal love for her. May didn't have any children of her own, so the little love she let occasionally shine through, went straight to her little make shift family at the pet store. Skye looked up to her, mostly because she respected her, but also because she had been a tiny bit scared of her when they had first met. Even though she would never admit that out loud to anyone.

She took a sip from her coffee, and she and May fell into a comfortable silence. It wasn't until the bell above the front door rang, signalling the arrival of a customer. Skye didn't lift her head and kept playing the game on her phone.

"Good morning, can I help you with something?" She heard May say.

What she heard next made her head shoot up so fast she almost fell out of her chair.

"Hello, yes actually. I was looking for these dog treats. My dog really loves them but I've ran out yesterday."

Skye would recognize that voice anywhere. _Jemma._

When she looked up, it was indeed Jemma standing in the middle of the store, still holding up the empty bag of dog treats she had taken with her to show which ones she meant. The woman hadn't spotted Skye yet, but Skye was about to change that.

"Hey." She said, trying to sound as casual as possible.

Jemma's head turned towards her, and her eyes widened comically. "Skye?"

"Yup." Skye grinned.

"You know her?" May asked.

"Yeah, remember Peggy? The dog I told you about?"

Suddenly it dawned on May, and she smirked slyly but didn't say anything, she just nodded.

"What are you doing here? If you don't mind me asking." Jemma added the last part quickly, completely missing the exchange of looks between Skye and May.

"I work here." Skye said simply.

"Oh," Jemma said, "I didn't know that."

Skye smiled, "That's okay. I've only known you for two weeks, I don't expect you to know everything about me." While she said it, she realized it sounded like a bit of an odd thing to say to the woman who's dog she took care of for a week, so she quickly added, "So, I heard you were looking for those dog treats? I happen to know we sell those."

"Let me guess, you were the one that gave them to Peggy in the first place." Jemma tried to sound serious, "She is completely addicted to them and won't eat her old treats anymore, thank you very much." She flailed her hands around, trying to act angry.

Skye laughed out loud, and even May cracked a smile at the girls theatrics.

"Guilty," Skye said, still laughing, "I needed something to make her like me."

"Well that definitely worked." Jemma said, smiling back. "But now I need more of them."

"Right, follow me." Skye said, falling back into business mode. She walked over to the rack with dog food and pointed them out to Jemma.

The woman got two bags and followed Skye back to the register.

"So uh, how's Peggy doing?" Skye asked.

"She is doing great. Besides her need for those treats." Jemma joked.

"Yeah yeah, I completely take responsibility for that."

Jemma handed her the right amount of money, and May put her purchase in a plastic bag with the shops logo on the front. She handed it to Jemma while Skye was still waiting for the receipt to print. When it did, she gave it to the woman, trying to ignore the way their fingers brushed ever so slightly. It made her blush non the less.

"I also had a question for you," Jemma said, looking at her watch, "but I need to get back to work now. Can I call you tonight instead?"

"Yeah sure."

"Great." Jemma smiled, "Talk to you later."

With that, the woman left the store, closing the door behind her. Skye kept looking at the door for several seconds after Jemma had disappeared through it. When she finally tore her eyes away, she noticed May was looking at her.

"What?" She asked.

"So that was the girl you talked about." The woman said with a smirk. "She's nice. Good job with that one, Skye."

"Oh shut up." Skye breathed, cheeks flushing again.

May only shot her another look, but Skye saw the small smile playing on the woman's lips.

She didn't know why, but it made her feel better that May seemed to approve of Jemma. It was totally ridiculous to think they would ever be more than friends, but _if _it ever happened, she now knew that May was on her side. That thought made her smile.

* * *

Jemma opened her front door and stepped inside. She was exhausted. The day at work seemed to keep dragging on and her feet and back ached. She was glad to finally be home. She greeted Peggy and even the dog seemed to be relieved she was home.

She dropped her purse on the kitchen table and let herself fall into the couch. She sighed and closed her eyes for a minute, rubbing her temples. She let her thoughts wander back to the only good thing that day, Skye.

When she had walked into that pet store, she had never thought she would walk into Skye there, but she was happy she had. Jemma knew it was ridiculous to look forward to seeing the girl who was still practically a stranger, but she couldn't stop her heart from leaping when she laid eyes on the brown haired woman on her lunch break.

For some reason, Jemma felt like she had known Skye for two years, instead of two weeks. The other girl made her feel things she hadn't felt in a very long time, and to be honest it scared her a little bit. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt Peggy's head under her fingers.

"I need to ask you something." She said, opening her eyes and sitting up. Peggy took this as an invitation to jump on her lap. Jemma rubbed her long ears between her fingers.

"I was thinking of asking Skye to take care of you every month when I leave. Would you like that?"

Peggy didn't give any sign of hearing her, instead she yawned and settled down deeper into Jemma's lap. Jemma let her hand run over the soft fur on her back and Peggy let out a content sigh.

"I think you would like that. You seem quite fond of her." Jemma continued talking, "You have good judgement, she is very nice."

She fell silent after that, letting her hands run over Peggy's body for a while longer. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, and Jemma too felt like closing her eyes for a while. She shifted so that she was now able to lie down and let her head rest on the armrest. With Peggy still on her lap, she relaxed into the soft couch.

* * *

When she woke up again, Peggy was no longer lying on top of her. Her eyes scanned the room and Peggy had moved to her own bed. Jemma sat up, winching when she felt the kink in her neck. She stretched her arms and then let them fall to her sides.

They collided with something hard, and she turned her head, surprised. In the small space between the couch pillows, a small black square was visible. When she wrapped her fingers around it and pulled it up, she noticed it was most likely a laptop charger. Which was odd, she knew hers was in her bedroom.

For a moment she sat there, puzzled, before it clicked. It must be Skye's charger. Jemma wondered if the woman had missed it, and for a second she felt guilty for not finding it earlier. Then she remember her promise to Skye that she would call her later that evening, and she made a mental note to mention the charger.

She got up and placed the black charger on the kitchen table, next to her purse. It was time to start making dinner, and she had made it a habit to tell Peggy about her day while cooking. Peggy, knowing there was a very big chance she would drop something edible on the floor, was already sitting in the door opening, knowing full well she wasn't allowed in the kitchen while she was cooking.

While Jemma prepared her own dinner, she told Peggy about the things she had done that day. It felt good to have someone to talk to, even though she knew Peggy probably didn't understand her or could reply. But she did it anyway, every day.

Two hours later, she had eaten dinner and done the dishes and was now back on the couch, glass of red wine in her hand. She had her phone in her hand, her finger hovering over Skye's name. She didn't know why she was hesitating, and without further ado, she pressed the call button and brought the phone to her ear.

It rung a few times before the woman on the other end picked up.

"Hey." Skye said.

"Hello Skye." Jemma replied, "Is now a good time to call?"

"Yes, your timing couldn't be more perfect." Jemma could hear Skye's smile through her voice.

"Good. I wanted to call you to ask you something." She took a breath before continuing, "You might remember what I told you when you came over here for the first time. I told you that I leave a week every month for work."

"Yeah, I remember that." Skye said.

"I was wondering if you were interested in watching Peggy every month when I leave."

Skye didn't reply right away, and Jemma got a little nervous. Maybe she had estimated the situation wrong, but her worries were blown away when Skye started talking.

"Really? I would love that!"

"Really?" Jemma felt the need to ask.

"Yeah. Peggy is the sweetest dog I have ever met. It would be an honour to take care of her every month."

Jemma smiled, "I am so glad to hear that. I am sure Peggy will be happy with this agreement too."

"She better be." Skye laughed.

They talked for a while about some practical issues that need to be discussed to make this work. And it wasn't until Jemma let her eyes wander around the room and her eyes fell on the kitchen table, that she remembered to tell Skye about her charger.

"Oh, there was another thing I needed to tell you." She said.

"Not something bad I hope." Skye replied.

"Oh no, don't worry, I just wanted to let you know I found your charger today. I am sure you must have missed it."

"So that's where it went,"Skye exclaimed, "I looked for it for hours, thinking I lost it. I'm glad you found it."

"Would you like me to return it to you?" Jemma asked.

"I've already bought a new one, but thanks for the offer." She stopped talking for a moment, as if thinking about what to say next. "It's actually quite continent that there is one there now as well. Since I'm going to stay there every month now."

"You're right, I never thought of it in that way." Jemma commented.

"Look at me, already moving in." Skye joked.

Jemma's heart stopped beating for a second. It wasn't until she heard Skye's voice calling her name, sounding nervous, that she realized what the other woman had just said.

_Moving in. J_emma knew that Skye only meant it in the most innocent way possible, but Jemma couldn't stop her mind from jumping to conclusions. She cleared her throat.

"Yeah, piece by piece. I better be careful." She said, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

Skye laughed, and the sound made Jemma forget about the awkward thing that just happened.

They talked for a while longer, Skye making easy conversation. But when Jemma glanced at the time, she realized she still had to walk Peggy.

"I would love to keep talking, but I have to get up early tomorrow and I still have to take Peggy out for her walk." She said.

"Of course! I'm so sorry for keeping you up." Skye quickly said.

"Don't be. I like talking to you." Jemma was happy it was a phone call, this way Skye couldn't see the blush that crept up.

"I like talking to you too, Jemma."

Both were quiet for a long moment, and it was Jemma who broke the silence.

"Okay, well, ill see you later I guess?"

"Yeah, definitely." Skye said.

"Good night, Skye."

"Night night."

Jemma hung up, her ear feeling warm after having had a phone pressed against it for so long.

She was already looking forwards to the next time she would have to leave, which was odd. Usually she didn't like to leave home, but now that she knew Skye would be here, in her house, made leaving feel a lot easier.

She took Peggy out for a quick walk, cutting it short because she knew both were tired. Getting home, Peggy walked straight to her bedroom and nestled herself in the sheets, yawning and almost falling asleep instantly.

Jemma walked around the living room, collecting her empty wine glass and quickly washing it. She didn't like to go to sleep with dishes still undone, even if it was just one glass. When she was satisfied and sure there were no other unwashed dishes, she smiled to herself and decided to get ready for bed too. She had a long day tomorrow.

* * *

**A/N:** All the titles are from the song _Golden_ by Lady Antebellum.

I hope you have just as much fun reading this as I had with writing it.


	4. From the way you laugh to the way you cr

**Chapter 4  
**_From the way you laugh to the way you cry_

Skye had been looking forwards to this day for two weeks, and it was finally here. It was Sunday, which meant that today Jemma would leave and Skye could watch Peggy for another week. Only this time would be slightly different. Skye made sure she was at least half an hour early, just so she could see Jemma before she left.

She had her own key now, hanging proudly on her key ring like it belonged there. She used it to unlock the door and let herself in. "It's me!" She called out.

"Hey Skye," Jemma's voice came from just outside the living room door, "You're early."

"Yeah, I figured I should wish you a save trip and bring you some doughnuts." She said with a smile.

"That's really nice of you. I love doughnuts."

"I hoped you would." Skye said and handed the paper bag to Jemma.

The woman opened it and looked inside, a blissful smile appearing on her face. Skye gave herself a mental high five.

"Come in." Jemma said, mentioning to follow her inside.

Peggy was standing in front of her in a matter of seconds, and after the normal scratches behind her ears, she laid down on her back, allowing Skye to rub her belly. Skye smiled and looked back up at Jemma.

"Now I am sure she loves you more than me." Jemma feigned hurt, "belly rubs are rare, and usually I have to bribe her with at least two treats before she would even consider it."

Skye laughed and turned back to Peggy, "You sure know how to corrupt everyone around you, don't you?" Peggy barked.

After a few more moments, Skye got back up and took a seat at the kitchen table. Peggy following her, tail wagging. Jemma was standing in the kitchen, making a cup of tea for the both of them. Skye didn't mean to stare, but for some reason she couldn't tear her eyes away from the other woman while she was doing something as simple as preparing something to drink.

When Jemma turned around though, Skye quickly averted her eyes, looking down at Peggy instead.

Jemma placed the cup of tea in front of her and took a seat on the other end of the table. Now sitting across from each other, neither really knew what to say. Skye knew that Jemma had to leave in 20 minutes, and she wanted to get the most out of that short time they had together.

"So uh, what kind of job makes you travel across the pond once a month?" She asked.

"I'm a scientist, as you might know, and I am in charge of a lot of projects, both here and in England. In the week I spend there, I mostly have meetings to oversee the progress and make changes if necessary."

"Meetings.. Sounds fun." Skye mocked.

"Oh yeah, you have no idea." Jemma said, smiling.

"I'm afraid I wont understand a thing about all your sciency stuff if I ask, so I won't," Skye began, "but you must be pretty smart if you are in charge of so many projects."

Jemma blushed, "I don't mean to brag, but I am not dumb, no."

"That's not bragging. It would be if you told me, for instance, that you have more than one PhD." Skye joked.

"I do." Jemma said, looking down.

"What?"

"I have more than one PhD." Jemma said, still not meeting Skye's eyes, like it was something to be ashamed of. "I have three actually." she added, in a softer voice.

Skye could only look at her in awe, mouth open. When she finally found her voice, she said, "Really?"

Jemma finally looked up, looking insecure and small. "Yeah."

"I mean, I knew you were smart, but... wow." Skye stumbled over her words.

"You don't think its, I don't know, weird?" Jemma asked.

"What? No!" Skye exclaimed. "Why would I even think that would be weird?"

"Many people do."

"Those people are stupid." Skye replied, "For as far as I know, having so many degrees means you're smart as hell, and they should be jealous."

Jemma looked up and smiled so brightly, it made Skye's breath catch in her throat. _Well damn, I am so screwed._

"Thank you, Skye." Jemma said sincerely.

Skye didn't know what to say, instead, she took a sip of tea. Jemma was still smiling, and Skye had a feeling not many people complimented her nearly enough, and that made her sad. This woman had three PhD's for gods sake. And besides that, she wasn't only smart. She was funny, kind and caring. How could she not steal your heart within a minute of meeting her?

She jerked up when she heard Jemma say her name. "Sorry, what?"

"I asked you if you liked your job." Jemma said.

"Yeah, I do. I've worked there for a couple years now, and they are kind of the only family I have." Skye answered, mentally scolding herself. Why did she even say that?

"You don't have any family?" Jemma asked.

"I'm an orphan, never knew my birth parents." Skye said, trying really hard to make it sound casual, and not like it hurt her every time she said it out loud.

"I'm sorry." Jemma said softly, reaching across the table to lay her hand on Skye's. "I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's fine." Skye said, smiling sadly, "Besides, I have a family now. Well, kind of."

Jemma smiled, but didn't say anything, so Skye took it upon herself to tell something about her life.

"Coulson, the man who owns the store, he's like my dad. He's very fatherly towards me, and the rest of the people working there. We are all kind of his children." She smiled fondly, "Except for May."

"May?" Jemma asked curiously.

"You've met her when you came to the store two weeks ago." Skye said, "She and Coulson have a thing, even though they both deny it." She chuckled.

"Yeah, I remember her. She looked a bit moody."

"Oh, that's just her how her face looks. Once you get to know her, I admit, she is still not the warmest person you've ever met, but has a very big heart." Skye smiled.

"They sound like really nice people Skye."

"Yeah, I am very lucky to have them in my life."

Both were quiet for a while, Jemma letting the information sink in. Skye's eyes wandered over to the clock, and when she saw what time it was, she jumped up, scaring Peggy.

"You should have left five minutes ago."

Jemma too jumped up, and said goodbye to Peggy quickly. Skye helped her carry her bags downstairs to Jemma's car.

"Well, have fun over there," Skye said, "but make sure you plan in enough time to miss us." She winked.

"I can't promise anything." Jemma chuckled.

She got into her car and rolled the window down, "Tell Peggy I love her."

"Will do." Skye said.

Shortly after that, Jemma started her car and drove away.

* * *

Later that day, Skye was working on hacking into some new security program, when suddenly she heard someone knocking at the door. She lifted her head from her computer screen and shot a curious look towards the hallway. Peggy also lifted her head. When the person knocked again, Peggy came into action and ran towards the front door, barking rather loudly.

She didn't know what to do. Should she answer the door? What if the person standing there was looking for Jemma? After moment of weighing the options, she closed her laptop with a soft click and got up from the couch.

When she reached the front door, she carefully moved Peggy out of the way, getting a hold of her collar so she wouldn't escape as soon as Skye opened the door.

She unlocked the door and opened it, revealing a young man she didn't know. He was dressed in a grey sweater, and his hair was a bit messy. He looked at her with confused eyes.

"You are not Jemma." His Scottish accent surprised her.

"No. I uh, I watch her dog when she's away."

The man slapped his own forehead with is hand, and Skye was seriously beginning to doubt his mental state.

"I totally forgot she was leaving today." He said, "Sorry. You must be Skye, right?"

This took her by surprise, he seemed to know her. But that fact didn't take the slightly nervous tingle in her stomach away.

"I'm Fitz, Jemma's best friend." He clarified.

_Ah, so this is the mysterious Fitz, _Skye thought to herself, feeling herself relax.

"Jemma mentioned you, you're on her emergency phone numbers list." Skye said, extending her free hand, he took it.

"Nice to meet you." She said. "Would you like to come in?"

"I actually only came to drop something off for Jemma. It arrived today and I promised her to bring it as soon as possible." He told her, "And I need to get back to work too."

"That's okay, maybe another time." Skye smiled at him.

Without any more talking, he handed her a small cardboard box. He gave Peggy a few pads on her head and then left after saying goodbye to them both.

Even though she had only met him for the first time today, and had barely even spoken to him, Skye felt like she liked Fitz. She walked back inside, and put the box on a shelve on the wall where she was sure she would be able to find it again when Jemma came back home.

She re-opened her laptop and got back to work.

* * *

It was on a Wednesday evening when Skye's phone rang, signalling Jemma's call. It didn't surprise Skye, they had been frequently talking over the phone, practically every night. They never really said it out loud, but Skye was fairly certain they both enjoyed having someone to talk to at the end of the day.

"Hey Jemma." Skye picked up with her usual energetic voice.

"Hey." Came the dull reply from Jemma.

Skye knew there was something wrong, "You okay?" She asked.

"Yeah I'm fine. Just a bad day at work, that's all."

She was pretty sure the other woman was dimming it down, and judging by her use of the word 'fine', Skye knew things were absolutely _not fine._ Instead of brining it up though, she change the subject. She knew Jemma well enough by now to know that if she wanted to talk about it, she would bring it up herself.

"I took Peggy with me to work today." She began, "Did you know she has a soft spot for bunnies?" Skye laughed, "She played with Hunter, my bunny, all day long, and even allowed him to sleep with her. I made a picture, it was so cute." She knew she was rambling, but she desperately wanted to make Jemma laugh.

"How is Peggy?" Jemma asked.

"She's doing okay. She misses you though, keeps looking at the door as if she's waiting for you to walk in at any moment."

Skye could hear Jemma take a shuddering breath. Skye was almost sure that the woman on the other end of the line was about to cry.

"Hey, I have an idea." She said, "If you like, we could talk on Skype, you know with the video chat thing. It will allow you to see Peggy."

"Yeah, that would be really nice actually." Jemma said, clearly fighting to keep her voice steady.

"Perfect, give me a minute to set it up." She told her.

She got her laptop from the bedroom, and brought it to live. Opening Skype, she clenched the phone between her cheek and shoulder so she had two hands to type.

"What's your user name?" She asked Jemma.

"j-simmons."

"Okay, I added you."

"Are you 'Skyes-the-limit?'" Jemma asked, sounding amused.

"Yeah, ignore my weird user name okay. It sounded like a good idea three years ago." Skye tried to explain, but she hadn't missed the way Jemma had sounded a little less sad just now.

"Can I call you?" She asked.

"Yeah."

Skye clicked the green video call button, and Jemma answered it quickly. When Jemma's face filled Skye's laptop screen, she couldn't help but smile.

"I'm going to hang up the phone now." She told her.

"Okay." Jemma replied.

She ended the phone call and threw her phone next her her on the couch. Then she focused her attention back to Jemma. She noticed she looked tired, her eyes glazed over.

"I will be right back." Skye said before disappearing from view.

She walked over to where Peggy was sleeping, and carefully picked her up. Peggy looked at her with sleepy eyes. "Mommy wants to see you, Peggs."

She sat back down on the couch and held Peggy's head in front of her webcam.

"Hey Peggy," Jemma's voice broke, "I miss you so much baby." She whispered.

Skye saw Jemma turn her head away from the camera, quickly wiping her eyes. It broke her heart to see her so sad.

"You sure you are okay?" She asked again.

"No, not really." Jemma said softly, "My whole day was terrible and I really wish I could go home." She sniffed and forced a smile on her face.

"You can cry you know." Skye reassured her. "It's totally normal."

At first Jemma still tried to hold it in, but she gave up after a few seconds, and she broke down into sobs. Skye let her cry for a few minutes, feeling very useless and wishing she could be of more help. She wanted to be able to hold her, make her laugh. Peggy pressed her nose against her laptop screen, letting out a soft bark. It caught Jemma's attention, and she gave a weak smile.

"I am so sorry. I don't normally cry this easily."

"You have no reason to apologize." Skye told her. "Do you want to talk about your day, or do you want me to talk about something else?" Peggy jumped down from her lap, now laying down on her feet.

"Tell me about Peggy and the bunny please." Jemma said, wiping her eyes for the second time.

"Okay," Skye began, "So I have this bunny, his name is Hunter Snuggles." This made Jemma smile. "He lives at the pet store, and when he was in his cage, Peggy kept pressing her nose against the glass, and Hunter didn't seem afraid or anything. So I got him out of his cage and let him sit on my lap. Peggy was so careful around him. They sniffed each other for a good minute, and Hunter just hopped of my lap and started walking around. Peggy following him the entire time, tail wagging so hard I thought it would fall off." Skye laughed. "Wait, I'll sent you the photo I took of them sleeping."

She picked her phone up again and scrolled through her photos. When she found the one she was looking for, she sent it to Jemma. On Skype, she could hear a soft _ding _from the other woman's phone. When Jemma looked at the photo, a genuine smile appeared on her face.

"You were right, this is indeed very cute." She said, looking at her laptop screen again.

"I know right. I send the photo to May too, and even she couldn't deny it was cute." Skye said, "And that means something."

Jemma let out a soft giggle, and Skye's heart soared at the sound. "It's good to see you smile again. You look pretty when you smile."

This made Jemma blush, "Shush you." But she smiled even brighter as she said that.

"Noo, if it makes you smile I will keep telling you." Skye didn't even know why she had told Jemma she was pretty when she smiled in the first place, but after seeing the reaction she got, she was sure she did good.

Skye told her a few more things she had done with Peggy that day, noticing how Jemma's mood seemed to improve the longer Skye talked. And when she told her about how Peggy had walked head first into a glass door, Jemma actually laughed.

It wasn't long before Jemma started talking about her day, and why it made her so upset.

"I asked this other scientist to enter his findings into this computer program that allows me to follow the results from this experiment from home." She said, waving her hands around while she talked, "He had promised me he would do it weeks ago, but when I asked him about it today, he just came up with some excuse for why he hadn't. And normally I wouldn't mind this much, but I spent an enormous amount of time on this experiment, its like my own special project, and I just snapped."

Skye looked at her, urging to continue.

Jemma took a breath before starting to speak again, "I got so mad at him. I never lose my temper at work, so all the other scientists in the lab were all looking at me, and when I stormed off I could hear them all laugh." She burst out. "Its not my fault I get a little... emotional when I get angry."

"That guy was a dick for not doing what you asked him, and you had all the right to get mad." Skye said. "Screw all the other people. If I know you well enough, you probably traumatized that man for life."

Jemma chuckled, "That I probably did. He looked quite terrified."

"And that is a good thing! Let them know they can't mess with you." Skye remarked. "From now on they know not to piss you off, otherwise you turn into an angry person who tears up." She joked, "To be honest, people who get all teary eyed while being mad are one of the most scare people alive."

Jemma laughed, covering her face with her hands. "A close second to the people who smile at you while inside they are angry enough to rip your head off your shoulders." She commented.

"True, those are the top most scariest persons alive."

Both laughed and fell into comfortable conversation. Jemma told her about England, and even tried to explain some of the science experiments to Skye, who listened intently, but didn't understand any of it. High school biology didn't cover all the things Jemma talked to passionately about. But Skye let her talk anyway.

Jemma's cheeks got rosy as she talked, and her eyes lit up in a completely new way Skye hadn't seen before. She could listen to her voice for hours, so she didn't mind. Instead she took this opportunity to stare at Jemma's face without any shame, memorizing everything she could see on the grainy view that Skype gave her.

She had been staring so intently that she didn't even notice when Jemma stopped talking. Only when Jemma smiled did Skye realize no one was talking anymore. It was suddenly very obvious that Skye had been staring, and her cheeks flushed a bright red.

She cleared her throat and Jemma averted her eyes, both painfully aware of the awkward silence that now filled both rooms.

"So uh, I should go to bed." Skye finally managed to string together a full sentence of words.

"Yeah, me too." Jemma replied, shaking her head as if to collect her thoughts. "Thank you, Skye."

"What for?" Skye asked, slightly confused.

"I had a shitty day, and you made me feel a lot better." Jemma explained. "I really appreciate that."

"It was my pleasure." Skye said, grinning and biting her bottom lip.

"Talk to you tomorrow?" Jemma sounded uncertain.

"Sure." Skye smiled, "We can even use Skype again if you want."

"I would really like that."

"Good."

"Goodnight Skye."

"Goodnight Jemma." Skye said softly. "Oh and Jemma?"

The other woman's head tilted up, meeting Skye's eyes the best way they could.

"What those people at work think of you doesn't define you, you know that right? You are so much more than that."

Jemma smiled warmly, "I know. But thank you for reminding me."

Skye grinned, and watched as Jemma waved at her on her screen. She waved back, and Jemma disappeared.

_What a dork. _She thought. _A very cute dork though._

* * *

**A/N:** All the titles are from the song _Golden_ by Lady Antebellum.

I hope you have just as much fun reading this as I had with writing it.


	5. You'll be the hand I'm holding

**Chapter 5  
**_You'll be the hand I'm holding_

After endless Skype calls they had grown closer, and Skye even saw Jemma as one of her best friends now. It had been a couple of months since that Skype conversation that had changed something in their relationship. Seeing Jemma cry had made Skye feel a lot stronger abut the woman, and what started out as what she thought was mutual respect, turned out to be a full blown crush.

Jemma seemed to like to be around Skye too, and they went out to get coffee some days. Jemma even invited Skye for dinner from time to time. Jemma even showed up at the pet store unannounced and spent her lunch break talking to Skye. By now, she had met all of Skye's friends, and they all seemed to adore the dorky scientist just as much as Skye did.

They both pretended it was about Peggy, but Skye kept wishing it wasn't. She wanted to be around Jemma because she could, because the woman wanted her there.

But after some failed attempts at flirting with the scientist, Skye had given up. Instead, she settled for friendship with her. It was better to have her around as a friend, then not have her around at all. A few months ago she thought she could live with this, but it was getting increasingly harder the more time she spend with Jemma.

By now, she had taken care of Peggy over ten times, and Skye just left most of her stuff at the other woman's apartment when she left after a week. Jemma didn't seem to mind, and it was easier for Skye to always have some fresh clothes over at Jemma's house.

While Jemma was in England, they had Skype conversations almost every night. At first it had been mostly so that Jemma could see Peggy, but it gradually became more of an excuse for Skye to see Jemma and to talk to her for hours at a time. Despite their differences, they found out they could talk about a lot of things, barely ever finding themselves without something to talk about.

By now, Skye knew Jemma's favourite colour, where she grew up, her likes and dislikes and a lot of useless fact. Skye took it all in like a sponge in water. She wanted to know as much about the woman as she could, and even began to pick up on some of Jemma's nervous ticks and other habits.

It had been over five months since their first meeting, and even now, Skye was still amazed by the kind of person Jemma was. The way she got excited when she talked about science and biology, the way her eyes would lit up and how she went on in her daily life. Skye started to realize she loved every part of Jemma, and for some reason, that realisation didn't scare her as much as she thought it would. If anything, it made her happy.

Today wasn't any different. Skye's laptop screen was filled with the image of Jemma's small apartment in London she had gotten used to. The woman herself temporarily missing from the picture. While Skye filled her time with fantasizing about Jemma, the older woman herself was deep in thought too.

She let her teabag hang too long in the hot water, resulting in bitter tea which she didn't really like, but she didn't want to go through making a new cup. So she just drank it anyway. Only flinching slightly when she felt the hot beverage in her mouth.

She wanted to get back to her laptop as fast as possible, there was someone waiting for her there, someone rather special.

Jemma had only recently admitted to herself that she had feelings for Skye, pretty strong feelings that is. The way the woman always made her feel accepted and warm made her happy, so happy. She hadn't felt this way about someone for a very long time, but she welcomed it instead of pushing it down.

She was not ready to act on it yet. She was sure that what she felt for Skye was real, but she couldn't deal with the reality if Skye rejected her. So she waited, hoping the other woman would make the first move. She still hadn't, but that didn't bother Jemma. This gave her time to figure out what she wanted. It gave her an opportunity to make a plan, she always functioned better when she had a plan anyway.

She returned to her laptop, and looked at Skye who appeared deep in though and staring off into space. Jemma found herself do that a lot more often lately, so she couldn't help but smile. She cleared her throat, and Skye's eyes immideatly found hers through the Skype call.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were back already." Skye said.

"That's okay, I only just sat down."

Jemma placed her mug on the table next to her and reached over to get the DVD cover from the other end of the couch. Movie night over Skype had grown into a tradition when they were so far apart, and tonight it was her turn to pick the movie.

"Love Actually?" Skye scoffed as she held up the box for Skye to see. "You are kidding me right?"

When Jemma shook her head, Skye sighed, "Its a _Christmas _movie. Its the middle of September, Jemma."

"I know, but I can use some cute love story. Plus, I haven't seen Keira Knightley in ages."

"Leave it to you to fall back onto your celebrity crush when choosing a movie." Skye joked.

"I can't help it, the woman is quite pretty."

"That is indeed true."

Jemma put the DVD in her laptop and opened the screen sharing program that Skye had created just for them so they could watch a movie together without any interruptions and crashing technology. (Skye had assure her this program couldn't crash, and so far it hadn't.)

While the movie loaded, she listened to Skye talk about something she read the other day, and she smiled involuntarily. Skye seemed to have that effect on her.

When the logo's stared to appear, she relaxed back into the couch. This one wasn't nearly as comfortable as the one Skye was sitting on right now, but it had to do for now. She felt her chest tighten when she thought about home, her real home a thousand miles away. Lately she had started getting doubts about her decision to oversee all these projects in England, and she had already started to prepare other people to take over in case she wanted to finalize her decision.

She had yet to tell Skye, but she dreaded that. The only reason they talked was because Jemma had to leave the country every month. If she didn't have to do that anymore, she was afraid Skye would loose interest in her. She wasn't willing to risk that yet, not until she was absolutely sure about what she wanted with her life.

She pushed all her unpleasant thoughts to the back of her mind, and instead tried to focus on the movie playing in front of her. She had seen it a thousand times before, and the only reason she wanted to watch it with Skye was because wanted the woman to laugh at the jokes she loved, and to smile at the same thing Jemma smiled at.

She listened to Skye while she made comments and jokes, and it turned out it was a lot harder to focus on the movie than Jemma expected. Her eyes kept wandering over to the small square in the corner of her screen where Skye was, laughing or watching intently. She didn't mind that though, Skye was much more interesting to watch anyway.

* * *

It was on a Tuesday morning that Skye started seeing Peggy starting to behave differently. She wouldn't eat as much as she used to, and got very protective when Skye tried to give her belly rubs. She slept more, and it worried Skye.

Jemma had not been able to speak as frequently due to some sort of crisis at work, and Skye was reluctant to bring it up to her when they did speak. The other woman sounded stressed and tired at the end of the day, and Skye didn't want to burden her with this while it could be absolutely nothing to worry about.

Instead, she decided to give it some time and see if it got worse. Or that Peggy would go back to her normal behaviour after a few days. When on Thursday she still showed no sign of improvement, Skye made up her mind and opened the list of phone numbers Jemma had send her with the first email.

She didn't want to call Jemma, and calling the vet seemed a bit too soon, so she called Fitz' number. The phone rang a few times, and then Skye got redirected to his voice mail.

"Hey, this is Fitz. I am not able to answer your call right now, so leave a message." His Scottish accent told her, after which Skye heard a familiar beep.

"Hey uh, Fitz," She began. She never was very good at leaving messages for people, it always made her sort of nervous and she would start to stutter. "I think something might be wrong with Peggy, but I don't want to call Jemma just yet. You know how stressed she is at the moment and I don't want to make her worried. So uh, could you call me back? Well uh, thanks. Bye." She hung up the phone.

She hoped he would call her back soon, she felt uneasy about the whole Peggy thing, and she wanted this uncomfortable feeling gone.

* * *

It took Fitz two hours to return her call, but Skye was so relieved when he finally did, that she almost forgot why she had called in the first place.

"Hey Skye. I just got your message. Is Peggy okay?" She said as soon as she answered the phone.

"I don't know. There are just some little things that seem off."

"Well I am not a doctor, but I know some things about dogs." He tried.

"She eats less. I still give her the same amount every morning and at night, but she just leaves more than half of it in her bowl and then doesn't look back to it for the rest of the time," She said while looking at Peggy who was sleeping on the floor. "She also won't allow me to touch her stomach anymore. She used to love belly rubs. I cant seem to shake the thought that something could be very wrong, Fitz."

He didn't reply immediately, and seemed to think for a moment. "I can come over tonight to take a look if you'd like that?" He asked.

"Yeah," She let out a relieved breath, "that would be amazing. I mean, maybe she just feels a little under the weather, but better save than sorry right?"

"Yeah, your absolutely right." Fitz agreed, "Does 7 p.m sound good to you?"

"Yeah, we will both be home then." Only after she said it, did she realize she just called Jemma's apartment _home._ Fitz didn't seem to notice though, and Skye was happy about that. Even if she did feel more at home here than at her own apartment, she wasn't ready to talk about it with someone. Not yet.

Fitz promised to come by around 7, and Skye ended the call. She still had to go to work today, and she was glad she could take Peggy with her more than ever. She didn't feel like leaving her unaccompanied right now.

It didn't take her long to get ready, and both left the house 45 minutes later.

* * *

"Hey." Fitz greeted her when he entered the hall.

"Hey, thank you for coming." Skye smiled at him.

Like she predicted, she really turned out to get along with Fitz quite well. Since he was Jemma's best friend, he and Skye also spend a lot of time together, mostly when Jemma invited them both for dinner. They both liked computers and machines, and when Skye talked to Fitz, she almost felt as smart as him and Jemma. She knew she wasn't, not by a long shot, but it was nice to feel like she belonged somewhere when she was with them.

It was a different kind of belonging than she felt with Coulson and the rest of her friends at the pet store, but she both craved it just as much. She knew it wouldn't be long before she would see Fitz and Jemma as part of her family too. She just hoped neither of them would mind when the time came.

"Its not a problem." He told her with a smile on his face too.

Together they entered the living room, Peggy greeting Fitz with her usual enthusiasm.

"Would you like some tea?" Skye asked.

"That would be nice, yes."

While she left Fitz and Peggy alone in the living room, Skye made her way to the kitchen to prepare some tea for Fitz, and coffee for herself. From here she could hear Fitz talk to Peggy, using his 'Peggy voice' as he liked to call it. She laughed quietly when she placed his tea in front of him on the small table.

"Thanks."

She sat down on the other end of the couch, tucking her feet under her body. They talked for a while before Skye brought up the reason why he was here.

"Try to touch her stomach and you'll see what I mean." She said.

Fitz did what she told him, and like Skye had predicted, Peggy squirmed away from Fitz' hands when he came to near her stomach.

"That is indeed odd," He stated, "I am usually allowed to rub her belly."

"Yeah me too. But lately she wont let me come near."

"How long has she been like this?" Fitz asked.

"A few days. I first noticed it on Monday night, but I didn't think much of it. She has her moments when she doesn't want to be touched at all, so I just thought it was because of that."

Fitz hummed in agreement and tried to touch Peggy's belly again. To be rejected for the second time.

"I think you should just let her be for a few days. I don't think its something to worry about, maybe she's just being stubborn." Fitz told her. "And if she's still like this when Jemma gets back, you can talk to her about it. Maybe she wants to take her to see the vet, but for now I would just keep a close eye on her and wait it out."

"Do you think I should call Jemma and tell her?" Skye asked.

"No, like you said, she has enough stress at work at the moment, and this would only make her feel worse."

"Okay," Skye agreed. "Thanks, I was really getting worried something might be wrong."

"I'm sure its nothing, but you are right, better save than sorry." Fitz said.

They talked for a while about a new gadget Fitz designed, and when he finished his tea, he excused himself and went home. Leaving Skye and Peggy alone for the night.

"You scared me for a moment there, Peggs." Skye said while scratching behind the dog's ears.

That night Peggy slept next to Skye in the bedroom, and all seemed well. The next morning Peggy ate her whole breakfast, and Skye stopped worrying. It probably was just her being stubborn, nothing to worry about. Skye smiled and went back to her normal routine.

* * *

The next day, Skye took Peggy out for a run just before dinner. The dog seemed more than happy to go out, and Skye took this time to work out. It also gave her the feeling she had dome something productive that day. After being inside all day long, save for the walks she took with Peggy, breathing in some fresh air did her good.

By now, she knew all Peggy's walking routes by heart, so she felt confident to leave the map at home. She set direction towards the park, Peggy running along side her.

When they reached the entrance of the small park in the middle of the neighbourhood, Skye had to take a moment to catch her breath. She was terribly out of shape. Peggy pulled at her leash, wagging her tail impatiently.

"Give me a minute." Skye panted. Peggy looked at her, tilting her head to the side. "Yeah, you might not feel this, but this human doesn't work out enough, so she needs some time to readjust." Peggy just turned away.

After a minute, she felt like she could walk again without the immediate danger of her falling over. Reaching a big, round field, she saw other dogs running around freely, so she crouched down to unclasp Peggy's leash. Peggy was more than happy to be free from her restraint, and sprinted away, joining some other dogs in their playful games.

Skye soon spotted a bench and gladly sat down. She wasn't used to running at the speed Peggy ran, and it reminded her again about her failed New years resolution to get fit. For now she was content with watching Peggy play with the other dogs.

After a while, Peggy made her way back to Skye, carrying a large wooden stick in her mouth. She dropped it in front of Skye's feet and sat down, looking up expectingly.

Skye got the hint. "Stay." She told Peggy when she picked the stick up. Peggy didn't move.

Skye threw the stick away with a fast swing of her arm. "Go!"

Peggy took off within seconds, storming away, chasing the stick that had landed somewhere behind a row of bushes. She brought it back to Skye, dropping it down again proudly.

This continued for a while, Peggy showing no signs of exhaustion or boredom with this simple game. After the nth time though, Skye got tired of it and when Peggy returned it to her, she stood up instead.

"Let's go home."

She clipped the leash back onto Peggy's collar and they started walking. Out of the park and the route back to the apartment.

Only when they paused in front of the door so that Skye could dig up her key, dis she notice Peggy wasn't wagging her tail. This was odd, she was usually very happy to get home. Skye didn't think much of it, but in the back of her mind something kept nagging her.

She remembered her phone call with Fitz, and now that Peggy seemed to look worse than an hour ago, made her nervousness spike again. Letting both of them in, she let Peggy walk around freely further into the house.

Just like usual, Peggy laid down on her pillow and closed her eyes. Skye took a deep breath, willing this unnerving feeling to go away. There was nothing wrong with Peggy, deep down she knew that there could very well be something terribly wrong, but she tried to ignore that.

She got a glass of water for herself, and filled up Peggy's water bowl with fresh water too. She opted for a shower after her run, feeling quite sticky and sweaty. She rinsed herself off and washed her hair quickly, still not trusting the whole situation with Peggy. She felt better if she could keep an eye on her, just to assure herself everything was okay.

When she wrapped up her hair into a clean towel, she heard something out of the ordinary. While the water had been running, she couldn't hear anything besides her own humming, but now that the bathroom was cloaked in silence, her ears perked up when they noticed the sound coming from the living room.

Due to the closed door, she had a hard time placing the sound, but she walked back into the living room and quickly realized what she was hearing.

Peggy was still on her pillow, but her eyes were now open. She was making soft whining sounds, almost as if she was in pain. When Skye called out for her, she didn't even lift her head, which worried Skye the most.

She crouched down next to Peggy and carefully touched her head with her hand. Due to this movement, the towel wrapped around her torso fell down, but she didn't really care. Peggy didn't acknowledge Skye's presence, just kept staring into the distance.

When Skye let her hands wander over Peggy's stomach, the dog let out a loud whine, louder than before. It wasn't a normal sound she made, it was a sound of pain. That was when Skye something was wrong.

Something was very, very wrong.

* * *

**A/N:** All the titles are from the song _Golden_ by Lady Antebellum.

I hope you have just as much fun reading this as I had with writing it.


	6. Golden, timeless as a kiss

**Chapter 6  
**_Golden, timeless as a kiss_

She listened to the sound of the dial tone, sounding harsh and loud in her ear while she paced around the room. Why wasn't Jemma answering her phone? The longer the same monotone sound filled Skye's ear, the more worried she got. She didn't want to leave a message, but when she reached Jemma's voice mail for the fifth time, she got frustrated.

"Jemma, something happened. Call me back as soon as you hear this." She said, trying to sound calm, knowing full well she failed and probably sounded as anxious as she felt.

Skye tried Jemma's work phone again, but that one wasn't answered either. She ran her hand through her hair, dishevelling it more than it already was. Peggy was still lying in her side, making the same pained noises.

She had called Fitz an hour ago, and he told her he would come as soon as he could, which meant he could arrive any moment now. She just really hoped she would be able to reach Jemma before that.

She started throwing some things into a bag in case she needed to stay over night, and just when she pulled the zipper closed, she heard Fitz enter. She heard him stop next to Peggy and she held her breath. He must see there was something seriously wrong with the dog right about now.

She rounded the corner as quietly as possible, but Fitz noticed her anyway.

"Hey." He said.

She didn't reply, instead she bit her lip in hope she could hold her tears in.

"My car is downstairs, I think its best if we carry her down the stairs and put her in the backseat." He said and she nodded, still not knowing what to say.

Both of them stood on the opposite sides of Peggy's green pillow, and on Fitz' count, they lifted it off the ground. Skye bit her lip harder when she heard Peggy's distressed and panicked bark. She heard Fitz murmer softly to her, trying to make her calm down.

It was quite the task to get Peggy down the stairs while making it as comfortable as possible for her. But Skye felt like she could finally take a full breath of air when she was situated on the backseat of Fitz' car, Peggy's head on her lap, softly stroking her neck.

Fitz sat down behind the wheel and turned around, "It's going to be okay, Skye."

"Yeah," She chocked, "I don't even know why I am this upset. she's not even my dog."

"She is." Fitz said, and then focussed his attention on starting the car, leaving Skye alone to process what he just said.

She thought about it for a minute, letting her hand glide down Peggy's neck in an automated motion. She wasn't sure what he meant, but in a way, Peggy was partly her dog too. She took care of her for days when Jemma couldn't. Peggy seemed to love her almost just as much as she loved Jemma, and maybe that meant she was part of Peggy's little family now, but she wasn't sure.

The whole car ride went by her in a haze, she was to busy rubbing small circles on Peggy's neck with her fingers to look outside. She was glad Fitz knew where to go, and that he was as calm as he was. If Skye had been alone she wouldn't have any idea what to do or were to take Peggy too.

When the car stopped, she looked outside and noticed they had arrived to an animal clinic.

"We're here." Fitz told her. "I'll go inside to tell her what happened and they will help her carry out of the car and inside. I will be right back."

Skye hummed in response, and Fitz left. She kept her hands busy, this time focusing on Peggy's ears. A while ago Peggy had stopped making any sound, and that was even more worrisome to Skye than when she was making sounds of pain hours before.

Thankfully, two other people in light pink lab coats followed Fitz to his car, and Skye helped them lift Peggy off her lap. She mindlessly followed them inside, right into a treatment room. She shook her head to clear it and realized the vet was looking at her expectantly.

"I'm sorry. What?" She asked.

"I asked how long Peggy has been showing these symptoms."

Skye told him the whole story again, the same way she had told Fitz a few hours prior. She made sure to mention every little thing that had looked out of the ordinary to her, and the vet -Cal, said his name tag- nodded throughout her story.

He examined Peggy quickly, and both she and Fitz made sure they were close enough to reach out and calm her down if needed. Within minutes, they were back in the waiting room, sitting side by side on the wooden chairs while another doctor took a look at Peggy and made sure the necessary tests were done.

"I called Jemma just before I left and told her what happened. She is on her way home right now." He suddenly said, breaking the heavy silence.

"You could get a hold of her? I tried to call her so many times but she didn't answer." Skye looked at him.

"Yeah, she was probably already at the airport, and in her rush to get a flight home, she might have missed the calls." Fitz explained.

"Yeah." Skye was quiet for a while, "It's good to know she's on her way here."

Fitz agreed with her and both fell silent again.

After a while, they got called back into the room, and Skye rushed to Peggy's side.

"We took some x-ray scans, and it appears Peggy has swallowed some foreign object that is now stuck in her intestines which is why its causing her so much pain." The doctor explained. "We are afraid we need to surgically remove it, but we cant do that without the owners written consent."

Skye forgot to breath. Peggy had swallowed something she wasn't suppose to. It was something Jemma had warned her for in that first email. Skye hadn't been careful enough, and now Peggy had to have surgery because of her. She felt guilt wrap around her neck, and her throat closed up. It was Fitz touch that brought her back and made her able to breath.

While she tried desperately to calm down, Fitz talked to the man in a hushed voice, explaining that Jemma would arrive a couple hours later.

He then took Skye back to the waiting room and sat her down. "Hey." He tried to get her attention.

Her eyes locked on his, and she took a shuddering breath.

"It's not your fault." He said, speaking each word slowly so she would understand. "Peggy swallows things all the time, and usually they come right out. You couldn't prevent this."

She nodded and tried very hard to believe him. "Will she be okay until Jemma arrives?" She asked in a small voice.

"They have given her a sedative, so she will be fine, don't worry."

"Okay." She whispered.

Now they just had to wait. Fitz got hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze. Together they sat there, side by side, waiting for Jemma.

* * *

They allowed her to sit with Peggy, and Skye felt a lot better when she saw that the dog she had grown to love so much was asleep. It may not be a peaceful sleep, but at least she wouldn't be in too much pain or be aware of what was happening around her.

Jemma still wasn't here, even though they had been waiting at the clinic for over five hours now. They had suggested they go home and come back when Jemma would be here, but she couldn't leave Peggy's side. Fitz had gone home, he was needed at his job the next morning, and after apologizing profusely, he had left her alone.

She didn't mind much, she used this silence to think and probably over-analyse every moment she had left Peggy unsupervised. She was pulled out of her thoughts by her phone buzzing against her thigh. She was in such a hurry to pull it out of her pocket that she almost dropped it. When she read Coulson's name on the display, she felt a wave of disappointment wash through her.

"Hey." She answered anyway.

"Skye, I heard what happened. Are you okay?" His voice sounded worried, and it almost made her cry.

"Yeah." she croaked out.

"Do you want me to come over?"

She thought about that for a moment, but decided against it.

"No, I'll be fine. Besides, Jemma is due to arrive within the next two hours so I wont be alone much longer."

She heard him sigh on the other end of the line, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." She assured him.

"Okay. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Give Hunter a cuddle for me." Skye said softly.

"Will do." Coulson replied. "You will call me when you know more okay? I too care about that dog."

"I know, and I will let you know."

"Thank you." He said. "And Skye?"

"Yeah?"

"Peggy will be fine. She's a strong little lady, you know that right?"

"Yeah I know."

"Okay." He took a breath, "Well, I'll be here for when you call."

"Yeah. And thank you."

"No need to thank me, Skye. We are all here for you." He said and hung up.

Only a few minutes later, her phone went off again, this time her display told her it was Jemma.

"Hey." She breathed out.

"Skye, I am already in a cab on my way to the clinic. I will be there very soon. How is Peggy doing?"

The speed Jemma talked at threw Skye of guard for a second, and she was quiet until she remember Jemma had asked her a question.

"She's asleep, they gave her a sedative to calm her down." She finally managed to get out.

"Okay. I have to go now, I will be right there."

"Okay."

Jemma ended the call and Skye was alone with her thoughts again. This time she felt a lot better now that she knew Jemma was close. On the phone, Jemma had spoken quickly, which Skye knew, meant she was nervous. Jemma always started rambling and talking at a very fast pace when she felt nervous or anxious.

She put her phone back in her pocket, laid her head down next to Peggy's and waited.

* * *

She realized she had dozed of the moment she felt someone's hand on her shoulder, trying to wake her up. Her eyes opened quickly and she looked around the room confused. When her eyes found Jemma, she let her shoulders down.

The woman looked absolutely worn out, which was understandable after such a long flight on a short notice. Her eyes were red rimmed and had dark bags under them. Her hair was a mess and she was nervously fidgeting with her hands. Skye realized she probably looked very much the same, but at the moment she didn't care.

Without speaking, she stood up and opened her arms. Jemma walked into them without question, and even though the conditions were less than fortunate, and in no way how Skye would have imagined their first hug to go, it felt amazing to hold the other woman in her arms, pressed close against her.

She felt Jemma sob against her shoulder, and she finally let her own tears fall. They stood there, pressed tightly together in a strong hug, softly crying on each others shoulders. It took them both a while to stop sobbing, and when they did, both of them sniffed and leaned back a bit.

Now that Skye could look her directly in her eyes, she noticed that she didn't only look sad and tired, she looked scared. Scared for her dog that would have to undergo surgery soon, and suddenly Skye understood Fitz' comment earlier that day in the car.

It wasn't just Jemma's dog, it was _their _dog that was sick and in danger. Over the months, Skye had started to love Peggy like she was her own, and why she needed this situation to finally understand that was awful, but at least Jemma didn't have to go through this alone now, they had each other to lean on.

She realized neither of them had said anything yet, but by looking at the woman in her arms she knew they didn't need to. It astonished her that even now, Jemma still looked like the most beautiful woman on earth to her. Even with red eyes and messy hair she was gorgeous.

They held each others hand tightly when Peggy got taken away to be prepared for surgery, but now Skye felt like she could do it. As long as they had each other they could get through this, and Peggy would be perfectly fine. Skye finally dared to hope.

* * *

The next hours went by excruciatingly slow. Both were too tired to make conversation, so they had settled for silence while still holding each others hands. Skye rubbing Jemma's hand with her thumb softly. Throughout the night, Jemma had dropped her head onto Skye's shoulder, and she felt a lot less tense than before. To get her mind off the current situation, Skye watched every other person who came in with their animals.

They all gave the two of them curious looks, but no one actually said anything. When she and Jemma were the only ones in the waiting room, Skye would softly hum one of Jemma's favourite songs, and in those rare moments, Jemma would crack a very weak smile.

When the doctor finally came into the waiting room with a soft smile on his face, the relieve Skye felt at that moment was indescribable. Jemma too seemed to grow a little as she took in the man's happy face.

"Everything went well. We extracted the object from her intestines and she is now in another room about to wake up. You can go see her now if you want." He told them.

Skye felt so happy she jumped up and wrapped the doctor into a hug, whispering thank you's in his ear.

Both she and Jemma followed him into a new room, and there Peggy was, sleeping on her own green pillow, bandage wrapped around her stomach and an iv still sticking out of one of her front paws. But she was alive and breathing, and Jemma dropped down on her knees and brought her head towards Peggy's, softly speaking to her while her hands ran over her neck.

The doctor gave them some room and closed the door behind him.

"She is okay." Skye said, mostly to herself. "She's still alive." She could barely believe it, but she didn't think she had even felt more happy than in this exact moment.

"Yes she is." Jemma murmured her response, tears leaking from her eyes. This time they were happy tears, and Skye too felt her eyes water.

She reached out with her hand, searching for Jemma's and when she found it, she grabbed it tightly.

Suddenly, she remembers what had gotten them here in the first place, and she felt the guilt come back up.

"I'm so sorry." She said, almost inaudible.

Jemma looked at her with a confused look in her eyes. "Why are you sorry?"

"It was my job to watch Peggy, and you even warned me about this and you trusted me and I let it happen and now she had to have surgery and she will be in pain and I did that to her. I am so sorry, Jemma." Skye rambled, not meeting Jemma's eyes.

"What are you talking about Skye? It wasn't your fault at all."

Skye looked up at her, "What?"

"Before her surgery the doctor told me what Peggy had swallowed. It was a USB drive. I put that for you on the kitchen table before I left, it was a present for you actually." Jemma smiled shyly. "I wasn't sure if you would like it, but I put some photos and videos of Peggy on that USB for you to take home because I remember you telling me you miss her when you're home."

Skye still didn't understand where Jemma was going.

"I put that drive there, Skye, not you. Peggy must have gotten to it somehow and swallowed it. It wasn't your fault at all."

"So you're saying that I didn't do anything wrong?" Skye asked.

Jemma laughed softly, reassuringly, "No you didn't."

Skye gaped at her, needing a while to process that information. She had spent the previous day and night blaming herself, and now that she knew she couldn't have done anything to prevent it she felt a lot better. So much better that she felt the urge to kiss Jemma.

That urge had been there for weeks, months even, but the euphoria of that moment made Skye confident enough to finally give into it.

She leaned in, slowly, giving Jemma enough time to understand what was happening and to push her away or move out of her reach. When she didn't, but actually moved closer to her too, Skye closed her eyes.

The moment she felt Jemma's soft lips touch her own, her breath hitched. She had been looking forward to this, fantasizing about what it would feel like, but not one of those day dreams had prepared for how the actual thing would make her feel.

Jemma's lips were unbelievably soft, and even though she tasted a little bit like salty tears, it was the best think Skye had ever tasted in her whole life. Their fist kiss didn't last long. Skye broke it almost as soon as she felt Jemma's lips curl into a smile. She leaned back and looked into the light brown eyes in front of her.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." She whispered softly.

"Then why are you talking right now instead of kissing me senseless?" Jemma said and Skye let out a soft chuckle.

"I just needed you to know that." With that said, she kissed Jemma again.

The kiss was soft and tender. They weren't in a hurry and Skye took her time exploring Jemma's mouth. She curled one of her hands behind Jemma's neck, and she used to other to press Jemma's torso tighter against her own. She felt Jemma's hands tangle into her hair and she let out a soft moan before she could stop herself. Again, Jemma smiled against her lips, but kept kissing her with the same passion as before.

Skye felt a funny tingle in the pit of her stomach when Jemma's tongue entered her mouth slowly. They kept kissing for a while, Skye completely lost all track of time when she was wrapped up in Jemma.

When Jemma broke the kiss, Skye rested her forehead against Jemma's and let out a happy and content sigh.

"I kind of really like you." Jemma told her, voice barely above a whisper.

"Good. Because I kind of really like you too." Skye said with a soft smile.

Neither of them felt the need to say much more, and when Skye looked into Jemma's deep brown eyes, she found sincerity, trust, and maybe even love there. She smiled and presses a light kiss to the tip of Jemma's nose. Loving the way it made Jemma giggle.

She had been wrong before, when she thought that moment a few minutes ago was the happiest she had ever felt. It was definitely _this_ moment. With Jemma's lips on hers, and the woman's warm body pressed against her own. She was so happy she could burst. Instead, she went in for another kiss.

* * *

**A/N:** All the titles are from the song _Golden_ by Lady Antebellum.

I hope you have just as much fun reading this as I had with writing it.


	7. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_Yeah you are golden,  
Precious as a prayer flying up through the air_

Peggy and Steve were running around the living room, chasing each other playfully. The medium sized Beagle was being followed by a long haired Bernese Mountain Dog who was occasionally letting out soft barks. Peggy's healing process had gone off without a glitch, and she was now a lot more careful with eating things that wasn't food.

Skye was on her knees, cradling Hunter in her arms while laughing loudly as she watched the dogs. Jemma looked down on her from the couch, a loving look in her eyes. She had never fully realized how lonely she was, up until Skye had walked into her life. It was the best thing that ever happened to Jemma, and she still had a hard time believing it was actually real, and not some cruel dream where she would wake up from eventually.

But Skye proved to her time and time again that it _was_ real, and that she wasn't going anywhere. The dark haired woman sitting in the middle of her living room had happily agreed when Jemma asked her to move in with her. She only had one condition, she wanted to take Hunter with her. In Jemma's apartment he would surely have enough space to live and hop around, and Skye wanted nothing more than to have him close to her.

Coulson wasn't to happy with that arrangement, he kept complaining about how much he and the others missed him at the pet store, but never kept up the act for long. And besides, he could drop by whenever he wanted, and he gladly accepted that offer.

Jemma had transferred the part of her job in England over to someone else, and was now home all the time. As soon as she realized she didn't have to risk losing Skye anymore, she finally made her decision and told her boss she didn't want to travel back and forth anymore. Thankfully he had others lined up for her job, so it was a win-win situation for more than one person.

Being at home more often also allowed them to adopt another dog. Skye had insisted on rescuing one from the animal shelter, and she had fallen in love with a big, seven year old Bernese mountain dog when she first laid eyes on him. The name Steve had sounded a bit odd, but they had gotten used to it quickly. He now was a part of their family and both parties couldn't be happier about that.

Whenever they held their monthly dinner party, all their friend would turn up. It was a full house with two dogs, a bunny and seven people, but they all loved it and always enjoyed themselves.

Jemma redirected her attention when Skye got up from the floor and walked over to her after placing Hunter back into his brand new cage. She leaned back a little so that Skye could take a seat on her lap.

"Hey beautiful." The dark haired woman greeted her with a smile.

"Hey yourself." Jemma replied with the same smile.

"You know what I was just thinking about?" Skye asked.

"Do tell."

"I was thinking about how much I love you." Skye said, grinning.

"I like your train of thought," Jemma told her, "tell me, how much _do_ you love me?"

Skye brought her index finger up to her chin and pointed her gaze upwards, as if she was thinking hard, "This much." She said, spreading her arms out wide.

Jemma took this opportunity to wrap her arms around Skye's upper body and holding her close. "Good to know." She said directly into Skye's shoulder, her voice muffled.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Jemma nodded furiously. "I love you that much too, possibly even more."

"Impossible." Skye grinned.

"We will see about that." Jemma said, lifting her head so she could look into Skye's eyes.

She pressed her lips to Skye's jaw, and slowly made her way up to the corner of her lips teasingly, never fully kissing her. It was Skye that tilted her head down, catching Jemma's lips in a loving and passionate kiss. Jemma hummed softly, not breaking the contact.

Suddenly, she felt a warm ball of fur jump between her and Skye, and a wet tongue licked her cheek. She yelped and Skye started laughing. "I think someone is jealous."

Jemma took Peggy's head between her hands and pressed a kiss on top of the dogs head. "She has no reason to be. I love all of you equally."

"I though I was special." Skye said mockingly.

"You are," Jemma whispered, covering Peggy's ears with her hands, "But they don't know that." She winked.

"Good, because I want you all to myself tonight." She said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Jemma punched her shoulder lightly, "There are children around!" She hissed, barely containing her own laugher.

"They don't care." Skye said, pushing Jemma down against the armrest of the couch. She lowered her head slowly, and when she finally kissed her, Jemma let out a sigh.

They kissed for a few minutes, dogs long forgotten. When Skye leaned back, her eyes were only half open. "I'm tired. Lets take a nap."

Jemma chuckled, "Way to break the mood, Skye. you're lucky I love you."

"That I am."

"But you're right, a nap sounds pretty good right now. I didn't get much sleep last night." She winked.

"I didn't hear you complain." Skye said, glimmer in her eyes.

"That's because I didn't." Jemma smiled, "And anyway, this gives me another chance to fall asleep in your arms, so definitely no complaints from me."

"You're a dork." Skye said lovingly.

"I am your dork."

"Yeah. Lets go to bed."

"Sounds like a plan. Lead the way, woman of my dreams." Jemma giggled.

Skye got up from the couch and pulled Jemma with her. Holding her hand the entire way to the bedroom, they fell onto the soft mattress together. Both dogs jumping on next to them. Jemma curled herself around Skye, head resting on the women's shoulder.

She felt Skye press a kiss to her forehead and she smiled.

She had found her home, right here in Skye's arms. And she couldn't be happier. Both fell asleep with a soft smile grazing their lips and with two dogs sleeping soundly next to them.

* * *

**A/N:** All the titles are from the song _Golden_ by Lady Antebellum.

I hope you had just as much fun reading this as I had with writing it.


End file.
